Editing Industrial Workers of the World (section)

=== Great Britain and Ireland ===

The regional body of the union in the United Kingdom and [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] is the Wales, Ireland, Scotland, England Regional Administration (WISERA). Formerly known as the Britain and Ireland Regional Administration (BIRA), its name was changed as a result of a referendum vote by WISERA members.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://iww.org.uk/about/who-we-are/|title=Who We Are |publisher=IWW|access-date=December 16, 2016|archive-date=December 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221130432/https://iww.org.uk/about/who-we-are/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The IWW was present, to varying extents, in many of the struggles of the early decades of the 20th century, including the [[UK general strike of 1926]] and the dockers' strike of 1947. During the [[Spanish Civil War]], a Wobbly from [[Neath]], who had been active in Mexico, trained volunteers in preparation for the journey to Spain, where they joined the [[International Brigades]] to fight against [[Francisco Franco|Franco]].<ref name=plutopress/>

[[File:IWW (WISE) membership numbers 2021.png|thumb|Membership numbers for WISE, from the period of 2006-2021]]

Overall, membership has increased rapidly; in 2014, the union reported a total UK membership of 750,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/452893/790T_2014.pdf|title=Form AR21 Trade Union and Labour Relations (consolidation) Act 1992|year=2014|publisher=UK Government Certification Office 2014|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-21|archive-date=2016-02-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201141709/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/452893/790T_2014.pdf}}</ref> which increased to 1000 by April 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://newsyndicalist.org/2015/05/30/step-up/ |title=Step Up |publisher=New Syndicalist |date=May 30, 2015 |access-date=April 10, 2016 |archive-date=May 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505091502/https://newsyndicalist.org/2015/05/30/step-up/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Anarcho Syndicalism.jpg|thumb|right|An Industrial Workers of the World graphic]]

Also in 2007, IWW branches in [[Glasgow]] and [[Dumfries]] were a key driving force in a successful campaign to prevent the closure of one of [[Glasgow University]]'s campuses ([[The Crichton]]) in Dumfries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oocities.org/glasgow_at_crichton/02.htm |title=Archive of Crichton Campaign |date=August 29, 2007 |access-date=April 10, 2016 |archive-date=April 24, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424080858/http://www.oocities.org/glasgow_at_crichton/02.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Edinburgh General Membership Branch of the IWW along with other branches of the IWW's Scottish section voted in 2014 to become a signatory to the "From Yes to Action Statement" produced by the [[Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh]]. In 2015, along with similar groups such as the [[Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty]] and Edinburgh Anarchist Federation, they joined the Scottish [[Action Against Austerity]] network.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://autonomous.org.uk/2014/11/21/yes-action-joint-statement-post-referendum-organising/ |title=From Yes to Action – Joint statement on post-referendum organising |date=November 21, 2014 |publisher=[[Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh]] |access-date=December 16, 2016 |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220112920/http://autonomous.org.uk/2014/11/21/yes-action-joint-statement-post-referendum-organising/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2016, WISERA promoted a campaign targeting couriers working for companies such as [[Deliveroo]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://deliverunion.com/ |title=Deliver Union |publisher=Industrial Workers of the World |access-date=December 23, 2016 |archive-date=December 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222105623/http://deliverunion.com/ }}</ref>